I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to spend the day in Derbyshire at Weleda HQ to learn more about the brand. Weleda is an ancient word meaning priestess and as a company have been in existence since 1921 in Switzerland and came to the UK in 1925. Their heritage is unrivalled by many companies and they have always focused on ‘treading lightly on the planet’. The eco / greenwash that many brands try to bamboozle us with now very quickly falls by the wayside of Weleda. Before sustainability was in our global vocabulary, Weleda were seeking to minimise their impact on the earth and maximise the capacity of the body to heal itself. Weleda is founded on the anthroposophical (complementary) medicine principles of Doctors Ita Wegman, Rudolph Steiner and chemist Oscar Schmiedel. Steiner’s principles continue to be a huge influence on the brand to this day. As well as the body products that you see in your local pharmacy, Weleda make medicinal products. They have the largest medicinal gardens in the world which is both organic and biodynamic as well as being certified by Natrue, Demeter and a member of the Union for Ethical Biotrade certified. I took lots of photos in the Weleda field and have written a post about it which you can find here.
Weleda have arranged the skincare by the lead plant. It is a plant which is not necessarily in the highest concentration or volume in the products but the plants whose skincare benefits form the focus for the range. Even better the products are colour coded and there is an adjective to describe what the lead plant does.
- Birch: Dark Green (purifying)
- Citrus: Lime Green (refreshing)
- Lavender: Purple (relaxing)
- Pomegranate: Red (replenishing)
- Rose: Red (soothing)
- Sea Buckthorn: Orange (replenishing)
The #WeledaInsightDay that I attended was focused on bodycare the process of defining a range by lead product is replicated for their facial skincare. It is a very straightforward but clever way of defining the sub-ranges and if you are like me and want to pick and choose from different ranges it makes if very easy. On the day I had a chance to play with each of the ranges and I came away with some firm favourites.
Most of the cosmetics industry get their Lavender from Provence, but Weleda head to Moldova for their organic lavender. The Lavender milk bath is the without a shadow of a doubt my favourite from the lavender range. If you are stressed, tied, irritable, having problems sleeping or just like a relaxing bath – this is the product for you!
In continental Europe, Birch Cellulite Oil is Weleda’s number one selling product. In the UK it is Skin Food and I have a review coming very soon. At the Weleda Spa in France you can have a body treatment using this oil which has been clinically proven to reduce cellulite. Birch is known for flushing toxins out of the skin so this range consists of Birch Juice, which is a cleanse that you drink, and a body scrub which is a gentle exfoliator. My pick from this range is definitely the cellulite oil, which is moisturising, smells amazing and improves the tone of the skin.
Weleda’s citrus range is my favourite, so I was too busy slathering my body in their products rather than taking photos on the day. In the citrus range, it is lemon that is the lead product. The oil from the peel is used in the products so the fragrance is fresh but not overly zesty which I love. My favourite product from this range is the hand and nail cream which I reviewed for Brown Beauty Talk – you can see my review here.
If you read my blog regularly, you will know that I am not a fan of rose products so I really appreciated the opportunity to try the range at the #WeledaInsightDay. Weleda combine rosehip seed oil (which does not smell very rosy) with rose absolute (which is very rosy) in their range. Rosehip seed oil is amazing for the skin and lots of brands use it in their skincare. Rose absolute apart from the fragrance is also good for soothing and balancing the skin. On the day I did not have a favourite from this range – as I said, rose is not my favourite, however, we were gifted the rose milk bath which surprisingly I have enjoyed. Look out for a review in the next couple of weeks.
Sea Buckthorn is a pretty amazing plant. Grown biodynamically in Tuscany for Weleda, It contains 15 times the vitamin c of oranges and oil which is used in skincare can be harvest from both the seeds and the pulp of the fruit. The oils are intensely moisturising for the skin without being greasy and are great for use after sun exposure. My pick from this range is the body wash. Rich but gentle, it cleanses without striping the skin and it has a zingy aroma which I love.
The pomegranate has high concentrations of vitamisn B5, C along with minerals and antioxidants so it is great for maturer skins. Pomegranate seed oil is combined with argan oil and borage oil (which is higher in essential fatty acids then evening primrose oil). The three together are a great skin regenerating trio of oils. My pick of this range is the body oil which dry skin loved.
It was an amazing day and give me a real insight into the philosophy of the brand and the range of products that they product. Thanks to Weleda for giving me the opportunity to attend.